This week, our local Rose Society chapter held an arrangement workshop. The workshop focused on traditional line design in accordance with the American Rose Society guidelines. This was the first workshop that we were able to attend and boy, were we excited. Typically when we arrange roses we stuff as many as we can into a small space and add foliage (aka greenery) to help close gaps. That’s our basic way of thinking about arrangements or centerpieces. However, seeing that we would like our farm to enter into a local Rose Show, we thought it best to learn the basic principles of flower arrangements according to the American Rose Society guidelines. One of the biggest takeaways that I had was necessity in creating a visual line through the design. It didn’t have to be linear, but it had to be a line that you could trace with your eye through the design. Furthermore, we learned how your container can add or detract from your visual line. It could add balance (symmetry) and contrast (colors). The container could add or remove scale (size relationship to the design). With the help and guidance of long-time members of our local Rose Society, we were able to produce some very basic, yet exquisite straight line design arrangements.
The above photographed arrangements are those that my wife and I produced. We are looking forward to trying our hand and entering our local Rose Show this summer. Wish us luck!!
–Materials and guidance provided by the Fort Vancouver Rose Society.